Reviews by bigaltemple:

More User Reviews:

Victory White Monkey750 ml bottle, corked and cagedI could not find any freshness dating but I'm sure I just missed it

I was surprised when I pulled the cork from the bottle that it didn't "pop". Following that, a fairly aggressive pour was requireded to bring up any head on it. It looked good once formed though, with a thin cap of creamy white foam atop a cloudy golden-orange body. (Had it rested and left the sediment behind would it look better clear?) The head held well, and it left some very nice lacing about the glass.

In the nose it was almost perfume-like with notes of cedar, torn green leaves, flowers, dull spice (with the exception of some brighter coriander), and a spritz of fruit (grape/orange/grapefruit/pineapple/mango/papaya, and at one point even a note of coconut) with a hint of vanilla underneath. It conjured for me an image of myself sitting in a bamboo hut surrounded by vegetation and mountains opening some small wooden box to find beautiful golden fruits and spices inside.

As I'd expected, it was fairly soft in the mouth with just a caress of carbonation across the tongue. I liked that, but I wasn't sure if it was intended that way or not. Should I have cellared it for a few weeks to let it build some carbonation? And would it be better with a bit more zest to it?

The flavor followed the aroma, and it was interestingly woody with lots of cedar and drying notes of oak. Malt was present but acted more as a base for the wood, spice, and fruit. The bitterness was kept in check, and the alcohol was well cloaked. As you progress through the glass, all of the components take a step forward to present themselves a little bit more on their own than as part of the whole, leaving it quite complex, and yet at the same time not complicated or confusing at all. Lemon and oak with a drip of sugar syrup followed by a swirl of spice in the dry finish. It's remarkably accessible and easy to drink, but there is depth of character if you choose to seek it out.

Victory has never let me down before, and this is an impressive beer. I'm assuming that it's just their standard Golden Monkey aged in previously used oak barrels (wine, probably Chardonnay) but it becomes something completely unto itself. Well worth trying, and probably worth seeking out. (2,292 characters)

A - A slightly vigorous pour yields nothing more than a thin layer of partially splotch lacing and a thing collar... A bunch of medium and large sized carbonation bubbles cling to the sides of the glass... A small cyclone of micro-sized carbonation swirls deep in the center of the glass... The color is a pale golden straw color... A fairly pedestrian appearance overall...

S - A very pleasant aroma... Their are light oak notes from the wine barrel... Some light white grape must scents... These notes are at the forefront... A bit further beneath the surface is a light Belgian yeast presence... Golden raisins... Faint candied sugars... Some unexpected sweet fruity esters as well, namely peaches and tangerines... Lots of depth and each whiff reveals a new facets...

T - Not quite sure if its the tannins, the oak, or some other off flavor, but the overpowering flavor profile is actually quite unpleasant... Lots of slightly off white wine character... None of the traditional Golden Monkey goodness can be detected... There is also an odd wild yeast component which seems sorely out of place...

M - Light-to-medium bodied... Starts slightly dry before intensifying to a blistering dryness on the finish... A bit chalky on the finish as well... Limited carbonation throughout...

D - Wow, I'm sorry to say, but this one is a rather huge disappointment all the way around... Other than a very pleasing aroma, this on falls on its face in all other facets... The idea of Golden Monkey in wine barrels sounded rather promising, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired... I can not recommend as this one was a struggle to finish and a near drain pour... Sorry Victory - I love most of what you do, but this was a definite exception... (1,748 characters)

A- Pours a clean light amber color with a 1/4 inch white head that doesn't retain long before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a sheer sheet of surface foam. Semi-resilient lacing leaves a jagged ring behind on the glass.

S- Jeez, this beer reeks of Chardonnay and booze. Very effervescent but not in a good way. Some Belgian sweetness is finally derived after a few short sharp sniffs.

T- Tastes better than it smells. You can easily identify the base beer at first but then there's a white wine sweetness and dryness that lays over the palate and continues on into the aftertaste. Notes of the obvious white grape, oak and apple. You can taste every bit of the ABV.

M- Dry and sharp with an apparent booze bite. Medium carbonation and a light body.

O- This is not a good treatment for Golden Monkey IMO. (882 characters)

A wine barrel-aged tripel from a solid brewery? Sign me up. This stuff pours a clear brass topped by a finger of off-cream-white foam. The nose comprises fresh gauze, vague citrus (leaning toward lemon, but there's a Squirt-like burst of lime in there at times as well), light black pepper, a pinch of clove, light cream cheese, and a touch of wet balsa. The taste holds notes of funky lemon rind, old banana peel, clove, used gauze, corked chardonnay (and, frankly, the corking wasn't the worst thing to happen to that wine...), and a wave of indescribably off floral bitterness. The body is a lithe medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overall, a pretty sad excuse for a final product, one that proves that barrel-aging does not a success make. *shudder* (828 characters)

A: Pours a cloudy amber color. The head is a small white shade, not even a finger high. It's also of a relatively creamy consistency, fading away swiftly. Some vestiges of lacing are left on the glass.

S: Some of the phenols and pepper notes I expect from Golden Monkey exists in full force aromatically, with the barrel-aging adding some (pleasant) butterscotch, oak, and vanilla. There are also some distant fruit esters. I get a good oak character, but not much in the way of actual wine: so maybe I should call it a partial success in terms of its barrel aging goals? Anyhoo, this has a much nicer aroma than the base brew.

T: At first, the barrel notes have a lesser effect on the flavor profile, only appearing as a tannic dryness on the back end. Give it a few sips, and a hint of vanilla will build up. Before this hits, it's flavor is similar to the base: faint apple to start, before turning strongly earthy/peppery. White grape notes also help finish this off. Victory got the barrel profile down pat - it's a subtle addition rather than an overpowering sledgehammer - a shame I'm just not a huge fan of Golden Monkey. Having said that, it's reasonably complex.

M: It has a thin feel, and lacks in creaminess as well. There's a bit of a sting on my tongue that feels more tannic than anything. Alcohol presence is about what you'd expect for 9.5%, but the dryness on the back end combined with the thin, tannic, well-carbonated nature means this one is fairly easy to drink.

O: Golden Monkey is average at best in my mind, and this isn't too far off from that mark, either. This is probably the one instance where I would have preferred a shameless, unsubtle barrel profile; the base beer has never done anything for me, and probably never will. Golden Monkey fans will eat this one up, though. (1,843 characters)

Pours into a large tulip glass a slight hazed deep burnt orange with a blooming large white head that left broken chunks of lace as it settled slowly into a frothy mass.Oaky lactic notes hit the nose upfront along with some spiced phenols,as it sits more vanilla warm spice comes into play.Vanilla tinged oak and phenols at the onset of the palate with a mild lactic sourness,the vanilla oak barrel plays a big role and the phenols are more minor.I like this beer alot,alot more than many,I like the complexities of it,a great patio sipper. (540 characters)

Golden Monkey goes to the barrel! Chardonnay barrels were used to bring this Tripel into that realm. Tasty though pretty mellow, loads of wood flavor opens up toward the end of the glass. An interesting sip; perhaps we expected a bit more wine character, though it’s balanced all around.

White Monkey is a slightly hazy golden yellow-orange color. The head is thin and short lived.

Aroma is sweet with tropical fruit but also has some oaky characteristics from the barrel aging.

Flavor is really heavy on the vanilla and maintains that sweetness from the tripel. It's well matched but is certainly stronger than I expected.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and nicely carbonated in the bottle.

Overall a good oaked beer. I don't think I've had such a light beer that has been barrel aged and the character from the barrel comes through loud and clear. Good thing if you like vanilla. (638 characters)